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Single Idea 18210

[filed under theme 6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 9. Fictional Mathematics ]

Full Idea

Why regard the axioms of standard mathematics as truths, rather than as fictions that for a variety of reasons mathematicians have become interested in?

Gist of Idea

Why regard standard mathematics as truths, rather than as interesting fictions?

Source

Hartry Field (Science without Numbers [1980], p.viii)

Book Ref

Field,Hartry: 'Science without Number' [Blackwell 1980], p.-7


The 11 ideas with the same theme [mathematics is purely invented, and is not true]:

Logic and maths refer to fictitious entities which we have created [Nietzsche]
Numbers are classes of classes, and hence fictions of fictions [Russell]
Higher cardinalities in sets are just fairy stories [Bostock]
A fairy tale may give predictions, but only a true theory can give explanations [Bostock]
Fictionalists say 2+2=4 is true in the way that 'Oliver Twist lived in London' is true [Field,H]
Mathematics is only empirical as regards which theory is useful [Field,H]
Abstractions can form useful counterparts to concrete statements [Field,H]
Why regard standard mathematics as truths, rather than as interesting fictions? [Field,H]
Putting numbers in quantifiable position (rather than many quantifiers) makes expression easier [Yablo]
Platonic objects are really created as existential metaphors [Yablo]
Why is fictional arithmetic applicable to the real world? [Potter]